Existing Macromedia productsthe Macromedia Flash MX authoring program and Macromedia Flash Player 6complement Flash Communication Server MX. With over 200 million downloads (and thanks to the integrated Sorenson Spark codec), Flash Player has quickly become a preferred playback mechanism for streaming video on the Web. When deployed in conjunction with Flash Communications Server MX, every Flash Player becomes a potential multimedia publishing point. That's because Flash Player can automatically detect and utilize audio and video devices installed on the end user's system and can transmit this data to the server for real-time broadcast or recording.

Flash communication applications are created via ActionScript. This allows developers to leverage a language in which they are already fluent. Client-side applications (in the form of SWF movies) are built entirely within the Flash authoring environment. Installing the communication server automatically updates Flash with two new panelsthe Communications App Inspector and the NetConnection Debugger (the combination allows developers to analyze and diagnose problems between the Flash client and the server).

In addition, the Flash script editor supports code-hinting and color syntax highlighting for communication objects. (These same script editor functions are available in Dreamweaver MX for those programmers coding server-side applications).

Even if you are not a power programmer, you can easily assemble an application using preprogrammed, communication-specific UI components, which registered users can download. These sleek interface objects, with skins created by the renowned Frog Design studios, include a simple connection mechanism, a video record window, and a text-chat panel.

A look under the hood of Flash Communication Server MX reveals several powerful technologies. Chief among them is Macromedia's Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP). Under this TCP-based protocol, connections are initiated by the client-side SWF application. Unlike HTTP, RTMP employs a persistent socket connection, enabling two-way communication. It is important to note that the SWF application itself is transmitted to a client via HTTP, allowing developers to incorporate new Flash communication applications into existing Web sites.

We tested a beta version of Flash Communication Server MX, Personal Edition and got a chance to explore the capabilities of the new client-side ActionScript objects. We were impressed with the new Shared Objects. A Shared Object can be thought of as distributed data. Though stored locally, it is automatically updated on the server and subsequently populated to all other clients that subscribe to the same shared object. For example, a text input box designated as a shared object will automatically function as a text-based whiteboard at runtime. Because the Macromedia communication model relies on the client-side Flash Player to render the new data, information is transmitted in its most efficient form (that means speedy synchronization between all of the clients). Text changes are sent as ASCII not as inefficient pictures of text. In addition, you can move shared graphic objects around on-screen by transmitting new x,y-coordinates.

Other ActionScript objects include the Camera object, which can detect client-side Web cameras, and Stream Objects, which can publish or receive audio, video, or data. A single NetConnection between Flash Player and the server can accommodate multiple Stream Objects. In fact, the number of Stream Objects is limited only by server resources and bandwidth. For example, a Flash application could conceivably broadcast live video and audio, stream video from the server, and allow interaction with an e-commerce system simultaneously.

Server-side features include the replication of data streams, which allows truly scalable applications, load balancing between multiple servers, and Macromedia Flash Remoting, which uses a set of ActionScript wrappers that allow interaction with other Web application servers. Macromedia Flash Remoting can currently recognize and interpret ColdFusion and Jrun objects. Macromedia expects to release support for J2EE and Microsoft .NET servers in the fall. The ability to access Web servers is especially important, because in this first release, Flash Communication Server transmits unencrypted data and must rely on application servers for authentication and for connections to external databases and directories.

Even small entities like design studios and small businesses should be able to afford the $499 Personal Edition of Flash Communication Server MX. Bandwidth is limited to 1 Mbps and the number of simultaneous users is capped at 10, though. The $4,500 Professional edition allows up to 10Mbps and 500 simultaneous users. You can purchase additional capacity, of course. An extra 10 Mbps/500 users costs $4,000 and 50 Mbps/2,500 users is $18,000.

Understanding, developing, and deploying a Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX application requires a high degree of technical expertise. But from the end-user's perspective, of course, this technology is transparent and totally fun. To say that Flash Communication Server MX advances Web-based communication and collaboration really doesn't convey the excitement we think this product will generate. Flash Communication Server MX technology will wow both developers and end users alike.

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